"What Grand Secretary Kou said..."
At those words, Shen Duan's gaze settled unhurriedly on Kou Yuan's face, and he said evenly,
"Insufficient seniority calls for caution under established practice. That is indeed reasonable."
He lifted his teacup and took a sip, then paused briefly, as though weighing his wording, before continuing,
"But something occurs to me.
This is not without precedent!"
"Yao Chong, the Tang chancellor, entered official service as a funeral attendant for Crown Prince Xiaojing and was first appointed Storehouse Registrar of Pu Prefecture.
With his skill in drafting documents and his administrative competence, he rose to Vice Director of the Summer Office within a few short years.
When the Khitan raided the frontier and military dispatches arrived thick and fast, Chong analyzed them with flowing ease.
No official documents went unprocessed. Emperor Zetian marveled at his talent and promoted him to Vice Minister.
Later, when Emperor Xuanzong ascended the throne, Chong answered him with his 'Ten Essential Proposals.' In a few words, he settled the great plans of the realm and was appointed Director of the Secretariat.
From a registrar in a prefectural administration, he rose to the weighty office of chancellor within a few short years.
In terms of seniority, Yao Chong was also lacking.
Yet in terms of achievement, within those few short years, Yao Chong ushered in the flourishing age of Kaiyuan.
Clearly, if every promotion had followed seniority, how could Yao Chong have helped Xuanzong achieve the prosperity of Kaiyuan?"
Kou Yuan chuckled. Rather than take up the precedent of Yao Chong, he changed tack.
"Chancellor Shen, that is a precedent from the Former Tang.
But our dynasty's institutions have their own rationale.
For Yao Chong to leap to the chancellorship through his administrative talent and ability to respond to changing circumstances was